The Chianti Classico Academy is the new cultural center in the heart of the Chianti Classico region. You will learn, glass by Chianti Classico glass, all about the region, its history and wines. There are numerous daily offerings with classes dedicated to beginners, enthusiasts as well as experts. Anyone can come deepen their knowledge about wine thanks to the Black Rooster’s Academy.

Staying in the region for a bit? Why not take your WSET wine certification courses in the heart of Chianti Classico?  The Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) is an international partner of the Chianti Classico Academy.

The Chianti Classico Academy is located in the evocative setting of the Monastery of Santa Maria al Prato (XVIII century) in the village of Radda.

Now really, did learning ever look so good?

For more information, visit chianticlassico.com/academy.

Want oil olive to just stop your meat and vegetables from sticking to your cooking pan? Oil is just oil?  Then Chianti Classico olive oil is not for you!

Tasting olive oil from Chianti Classico is an incredible experience, with different flavors coming from different kinds of olives. It is an art form in itself.

The crop and production of olive oil is tracked in Chianti Classico just as the wine is. For 2012, the region had lower than expected production of its olive oil, but its popularity is on a rise.  People appear to be seeking out premium olive oils.

Starting this year, the Chianti Classico’s famed Black Rooster can now be used for its premium olive oil.

How is the 2012 harvest shaping up?

The 2012 harvest created no small anxiety among the olive oil producers of the zone. Drought conditions were felt quite early on compared to 2011, and during the entire summer it was feared that the olive crop would not be able to resist the scorching heat. Rain arrived in September, however, and allowed to olives to swell, ripen, and produce an olive oil with aromas and flavors which had not been felt for years.

Disaster averted!

Every year has its own peculiar characteristics, and every year we are shown the powerful resistance which this plant, the olive tree, regularly demonstrates, its capacity to confront and overcome the climatic difficulties which often create severe problems in trying growing seasons such as 2012.

Spring and summer, the period in which the olives begin to grow and condense their “green gold”, were characterized by torrid heat and a systematic lack of rainwater. Despite this, the crop managed to reach the end of August without falling from the trees, and it was necessary to await the September rains to see the beginning of the condensation of the oil in the fruit. The picking of the olive crop began during the last ten days of October, and this by now has become a standard date for the beginning of the harvest, which then went forward without particular problems until the last days of November.

The result of this odd weather pattern, however, is a crop of healthy olive oil — the 2012 Chianti Classico DOP olive oils have a high level of anti-oxidants (polyphenols) and vitamins never previously seen.

The average levels which can be seen in the chemical analysis of the olive oil are very interesting indeed and indicate a significant product both from a nutritional point of view and from the point of view of its healthful qualities. They show the typical aromas and flavors of Chianti Classico: fruity and intense with notes of fresh and fragrant field herbs and artichokes, piquant notes of arugola and spicy peppers, much length, aromatic penetration, and much persistence of flavor.

For a meaningful and flavorful olive oil, Chianti Classico should be tried.

SENSORY CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CHIANTI CLASSICO DOP OLIVE OIL

Chemical characteristics – appellation rules

• acidity (expressed in oleic acid) – maximum:  .5 grams per liter
• a high percentage of oleic acid >72%

Organoleptic Characteristics according to Appellation Rules

color: from an intense green to a green with golden highlights

• aroma: fruity and with a net sensation of olives
  • a) presence of green fruity sensations   3-8
  • b) lightly bitter                                                   2-8
  • d) piquantly spicy                                             2-8
• absence of defects (average of defects = 0, average fruitiness > 0)

A FEW NUMBERS

Did you know?  

Siena and Florence are both the capitals of Chianti. The two provinces share the beauty and bounty of the region.

The Chianti Classico zone amounts to 70,000 hectares (172,900 acres) and includes the entire territories of the communes of Castellina in Chianti, Gaiole in Chianti, Greve in Chianti and Radda in Chianti and parts of those of Barberino Val d’Elsa, Castelnuovo Berardenga, Poggibonsi, San Casciano Val di Pesa and Tavarnelle Val di Pesa.

Forests occupy almost two-thirds of the zone. Oaks grow just about everywhere, while chestnuts thrive primarily on the eastern side of the district. Conifers are concentrated at higher altitudes, while stands of pines are common on the low hills to the south of Florence.

Wild animals are not as numerous as they once were but it is still possible to observe pheasants, wild boar, hares and roebucks in the zone.

The Chianti wine-producing area was delimited in 1932 by ministerial decree and the boundaries have remained unchanged since then. The decree described the district where Chianti Classico is produced as the “the oldest zone of origin,” thereby recognizing its primacy and according it a special identity.

This classic region produces the ultimate expression of Sangiovese. Join us often for news and facts on this historic wine region of the world.

The Life of Chianti Classico, in a nutshell

The Middle Ages: The Beginning of Chianti

The earliest documentation of making the wine called “Chianti” is from the 1400’s.

1716: Chianti Wine is Born

The Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo II, issues the proclamation that establishes the borders of the Chianti Wine production zone. This proclamation is the first legal document in history that defines a wine-making area.

1924:Italy’s First Wine Consortium is Created

To protect the production of Chianti wine, 33 vintners got together to create a consortium that would defend Chianti wine and its mark of origin. The Black Rooster was immediately chosen as the Chianti symbol.

1932: The “Classico” is the Only Original Chianti

From the Chianti zone, six other Chianti wine types were born. To protect the original and oldest zone of origin, the suffix “Classico” is given to distinguish the original wine from the other “Chianti” wines made outside the historical production zone.

1984: The DOCG Arrives

The entire region of Chianti is granted DOCG (Denomination of Origin Controlled and Guaranteed) status, which is the highest rank for premium Italian wines.

1996: Chianti Classico Becomes an Independent DOCG

After 60 years of being asubzoneofChianti, Chianti Classico becomes an independent DOCG.

2005: The Black Rooster Appears on the Neckband

A new official member is added to the Chianti Classico family- the black rooster. The Black Rooster is added to the Italian state bottle seal, and reinforces its role as the unifying symbol of all of Chianti Classico.

Rooster trademark is added to the Italian state bottle seal

2012:  The Consorzio restructures the denomination and revamps the quality pyramid, adding a new category above Vintage and Riserva. In addition there are changes to the Riserva level and stricter rules on bulk wine.  See our June 5^th blog entry for details.

The best of Tuscany: Chianti Classico. Stay tuned on our blog for the latest news and developments of the region.

Chianti is filled with remnants of the Etruscans and Romans but it was in medieval times that the zone began to acquire the architectural landscape that distinguishes it still today.

In fact, it was precisely during the Middle Ages that this part of Tuscany was the theater of fierce battles between Florence and Siena, vying for what just a few centuries later would become the territory of one of the world’s most famous wines.

Due to the fighting, castles and fortresses were built amongst country churches and abbeys.  In peacetime, these were converted into villas and stately homes. Peace also brought about an agricultural rebirth and further enriched the landscape with fields of different produce. It was at this time that most of the farmhouses and estates—so treasured today as part of the landscape and hospitality of the region—were built.

All through these changes, wine remained constant. Documents show wine being made in Chianti Classico since the 1400s and the region continues to reign today as one of the grand wine regions of the world.  (if we say so, ourselves!)

Chianti, the area in which Chianti Classico wine has been produced for centuries, is that part of Tuscany that is bordered to the north by the suburbs of Florence, to the east by the Chianti Mountains, to the south by the city of Siena and to the west by the valleys of the Pesa and Elsa rivers.

1716: Chianti wine is born. The territory of Chianti gained such prestige that in 1716 the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo II, decided to protect its name, establishing the borders of its wine production zone.

The proclamation of 1716 is the first legal document in history delimiting a winemaking area.

This delineation existed until the 1930s when the Italian government expanded the zone. Subsequent expansions throughout the twentieth century would eventually bring the Chianti zone to cover almost all of Tuscany.

The original zone dictated by the edict of Cosimo III de’ Medici would eventually be considered the heart of the Chianti Classico region.

• Read also “Chianti Classico and Chianti: 2 different wines“

…just about every 5 minutes around the world these words are used incorrectly to define two wines whose names and provenances the public is unclear about: Chianti and Chianti Classico.

Chianti Classico, more than just wine!

The most common idea is that Chianti Classico is a subzone of Chianti, like “Rufina”, “Colli Fiorentini” and so on…

So, often the suffix “Classico” is omitted from articles (even in the wine press), discussions or posts on the various social networks. It’s easier to quickly say “Chianti” – it’s all in the same family, right?

In actual fact that suffix is really important because it distinguishes Chianti Classico from Chianti and its subzones.

Chianti (and its subzones) and Chianti Classico are, in fact, two different and separate DOCG (Controlled and Guaranteed Denominations of Origin), with two different sets of production regulations, production zones and tutelary consortiums.

Two bits of historical info.

In 1716 the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo III, formally decreed the borders of the Chianti production zone, an area lying between the cities of Florence and Siena in which the homonymous wine was made, at the time already a great success. So the territory called “Chianti” was where “Chianti” wine was made.

In the early 20th century this success kept increasing and, to protect its production, its vintners founded a consortium to protect their wine made in Chianti and its original trademark. The symbol immediately chosen was the Black Rooster, historical symbol of the Chianti Military League and among other things painted by artist Giorgio Vasari on the ceiling of the Salone dei Cinquecento in Palazzo Vecchio in Florence.

And here began the confusion because, in that same period and for commercial reasons, wine began to be produced outside the Chianti zone delimited in 1716, and this was also called “Chianti” or “Chianti-style” wine.

In 1932 the Italian government issued a special decree to differentiate the Chianti made in the zone of origin, adding to it the suffix “Classico”. Since then Chianti wine  is what is produced outside the geographical area called “Chianti”, while Chianti Classico is what is produced within the original “Chianti” production zone.

As a recap:

Chianti: the name of a territory delimited in 1716 that today covers the communities of Castellina, Gaiole, Greve and Radda in Chianti in their entirety and parts of Barberino Val d’Elsa, Castelnuovo Berardenga, Poggibonsi, San Casciano and Tavarnelle Val di Pesa.

Chianti: the name of a wine made in Tuscany but not in the geographical area called “Chianti”.

Chianti Classico: the name of the wine made in the geographical area called “Chianti”. It is the only wine entitled to bear the historic Black Rooster trademark.

Vintuba certainly is an instrument, but not necessarily just a musical one. It is a blog and podcast site run by Master of Wine candidate, Chris Oggenfuss. Chris reports in here, and we look forward to upcoming podcasts as well :

http://blog.vintuba.com/2012/06/04/not-all-chinatis-are-the-same-some-are-indeed-classico-and-others-should-be/

Here is Chris (in blue) in action in Chianti Classico, speaking with the incredibly warm and knowledgeable Manager of Castello d’ Albola: